This Year, Maybe..
Chapter 2: April 25 - A Simple Pen, A Silent Intent
5NY0PSIS: As class president, he carefully pairs himself with you, hoping to make the most of this seemingly mundane task
TAGS: KAZUHA X READER... not yet, awkward conversations, SLOW BURNN, fluff, one-sided (or is it?), FLUFF, heizou + kuki + tomo appearance, 3RD+2ND POV, USE OF Y/N, no use of italics or bold fonts (i got lazy..) NOT PROOFREAD.
WC: 3, 701
A/N Seriously... I don't know if this is a slow-burn romance or just a painfully slow Kazuha trying to find the right words. Anyway, thank you for reading!!
The morning light poured into the classroom, dust particles drifting in its golden glow. The faint rustling of papers and murmur idle conversations filled the air as students of Class 4-B settled in.
Kaedahara Kazuha leaned against the window, his crimson eyes gazing out at the cherry blossoms swaying gently in the breeze while he listened to the morning announcements. He seemed perfectly fine, his calm expression undisturbed by the chatters around him.
But beneath his composed exterior, his heart beats with a restless rhythm.
Today was the first time he would be able to see the fruits of his carefully crafted cleanup schedule, one he had painstakingly arranged just last week.
As class president, his second task —after settling the seating arrangement— had been to organize the duties for the after-class cleanup. Kazuha approached this responsibility with fairness, mapping out the tasks, balancing the workload, and pairing everyone with suitable partners
And yet…
He couldn’t deny that his pen lingered just a moment too long when it came to your name.
As the bell rang, Mr. Takahashi strode into the room, his presence immediately silencing the class. “ALRIGHT!! LISTEN UP!” Mr. Takahashi said, his voice stern as he adjusted his glasses, “We assigned after-class cleanup partners for the term. Class President, the floor is yours”
Kazuha rose from his seat, holding a neatly organized list. He glanced at Heizou, who gave him an exaggerated thumbs-up.
Clearing his throat, Kazuha began. “The pairings were arranged to ensure fairness and balance,” he said, his tone measured. “If anyone has concerns, please don't hesitate to speak to me later.”
The class nodded in unison in unison, and Kazuha began calling out names, one by one. “Tomo and Shinobu,” Kazuha announced, his voice steady as always. Tomo grinned, flashing a thumbs-up in Shinobu’s direction, who simply nodded in acknowledgement. They somehow make a good team—Tomo’s carefree energy perfectly balanced by Shinobu’s sharp and efficient approach
“Kirara and Ayaka,” Kazuha continued, his voice a little louder than before. Kirara smiled brightly at Ayaka who offered her usual serene smile in return. Their pairing made perfect sense—both were hardworking and responsible in their own ways. Ayaka, with her composed nature, would surely complement Kirara’s live energy as well.
“Heizou and Yoimiya,” Kazuha called, the pair exchanging amused glances. “JACKPOT!” Heizou mused with a cheeky grin, while Yoimiya beamed back at him. The two had a dynamic brimming with mischievous energy. Their playful demeanor was contagious, drawing a few amused chuckles from the rest of the class as Kazuha prayed they wouldnt cause too much chaos..
A few more of the pairs were announced, his voice steady despite the slight edge of anticipation in the air.
Finally, he paused.
His gaze lingering on the last pair of names on the list.
Kazuha’s voice softened just slightly, “myself and [Y/N].”
The room remained quiet, though Kazuha didn’t miss the curious glance Heizou shot him.
He adjusted the paper in his hands and moved on to the next order of business, trying to appear unaffected.
He glanced up briefly to see you—[Y/N]—your expression unchanged, as if this was simply another day...
"Alright, everyone, don’t forget to bring your cleaning supplies after school," Mr. Takahashi continued, dismissing the class with a wave of his hand. "See you all again in a few hours."
Then on cue, lunch bell chimed, the classroom erupted into chatter as students unpacked their lunches and settled into their routines.
Kazuha, however, sat in his usual corner by the window, quietly unwrapping his bento box. He preferred the quiet moments, savoring the peace that only the calm before class could provide.
As he lifted a pair of chopsticks to take his first bite, he glanced toward the door where you were exiting the classroom. Your bright presence always stood out to him...
Though you weren’t the loudest, nor the most flamboyant, something about you, made him watch you with a quiet, growing fascination.
“KAZUHAA!” Tomo, as usual, broke his concentration with his booming voice.
Kazuha turned, startled, to see Tomo sliding into the seat in front of him. “You ever think about how ridiculous cleanup duty is?
Kazuha smiled gently, not at all surprised by the sudden intrusion. “It’s about fostering responsibility and teamwork. Besides, the janitors have enough to manage without having to clean up after us.”
“Ah, the noble class president,” Tomo teased, grinning. “Always the voice of reason.”
“You make it sound like it’s a.. bad thing,” Kazuha replied with an amused tilt of his head.
Before the conversation could continue, Heizou appeared by Kazuha’s side, his signature smirk firmly in place as he leaned casually against the desk. “What’s this? Talking about cleaning up after yourselves!? So boring!!! Let me guess, Kazuha—more ‘responsibility and teamwork’ talk?”
Kazuha glanced up, his smile barely hiding the hint of exasperation. “Is there something you want, Heizou?”
Heizou grinned mischievously. “Oh, nothing major...! Just thought I’d drop by to check on our noble president. So, how’s it feel, Kazuha? You’re the big man on campus now!!”
Kazuha sighed, knowing exactly where this was going. “It’s not that gonna be that simple, Heizou...”
“Oh, I’m sure...” Heizou said, tapping his chin. “I bet you have all sorts of complicated feelings about your position. But hey, I think I get it. It’s hard to be the most popular guy in the class.”
Tomo chuckled, clearly enjoying the show. “Yeah, especially when you’re trying to act all modest.”
Kazuha looked at his friend, deadpan. “What are you getting at, exactly?”
Heizou crossed his arms, his smirk widening. “Oh, nothing. Just wanted to remind you that being president comes with its perks, you know? Like… getting to pair yourself with someone specific for cleanup duuuutyyyyy...!!!”
Kazuha’s breath caught for a moment, though he quickly recovered. “I’m just following the seating arrangement. It’s purely coincidental.”
“Coincidental?” Heizou raised an eyebrow, a sly grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “Yeah and I'm Miko's brother.... You’re NOT fooling anyone, my friend. I know exactly what you’re up to!"
Tomo’s eyes widened in realization. “Wait, are you talking about…?” He glanced between Kazuha and Heizou.
“Yes, EXACTLY!” Heizou said, winking at Kazuha before turning his attention back to Tomo. “I’ll bet my last Katsudon that Kazuha purposely paired himself with [Y/N[ for cleanup duty!!!”
Kazuha felt his cheeks warm at the teasing. He was trying to be subtle, to act like it was just a coincidence... but Heizou wasn’t making it easy.
“Stop being so obvious,” Heizou continued, clearly enjoying Kazuha’s discomfort.
“You’ve been mooning over them since second year. Everyone’s gonna catch on if you don’t stop acting all giddy around them.”
Kazuha straightened his back and cleared his throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sureeeee you don’t,” Heizou said, smirking knowingly. “But you know, there’s no harm in letting them know, right? It’s your last year, after all.”
Kazuha was quiet for a moment. He could feel the weight of Heizou’s words.
But he wasn’t ready.
Not yet.
“Maybe it’s better to just keep it to myself,” Kazuha replied softly, though his voice betrayed a hint of uncertainty.
Heizou shrugged, looking almost sympathetically at him. “Your call, Kazuha. Just don’t take too long. Time’s running out...”
Just then, Shinobu entered the conversation, her calm presence a contrast to the banter around her. “You two are getting too loud. Can you save the gossip for after school...?”
Heizou raised his hands in mock surrender. “Fine, fine. I’ll keep my observations to myself.... For now.”
Tomo chuckled, clearly entertained by the exchange. “Alright, alright, but you gotta admit, Kazuha—you’re not fooling anyone with that ‘coincidental pairing’ act.”
Kazuha gave him a wry smile, shaking his head. “Let’s just focus on something else, shall we?”
In the afternoon the, the bell rang once more, now signaling the end of the day which was met with a collective groan from the class.
Everyone began to gather their things, packing up books and chatting excitedly about the free time ahead. However, as the noise died down, Mr. Takahashi’s voice rang out sharply.
“Alright, everyone, time for cleanup duty. Let’s not drag this out. Get to your assigned tasks and finish it quickly!1 Kazuha! [Y/N]!! You're on duty for today!”
Kazuha stood, gathering his notes and setting them aside. He had half expected this moment—he’d already seen his name paired with yours on the roster earlier.
The thought of spending this time together should have excited him, but instead, it only brought a swell of nervousness.
What would he even say? How would he bridge the gap between the polite, detached student he was and the person he wished he could be when he was around you?
Kazuha took a deep breath, glancing at you as you stood up from your desk. You caught his eye for a moment, offering a small, friendly smile that made his heart flutter. His response was almost automatic—a soft smile, perhaps a bit more earnest than usual.
The classroom emptied out quickly, leaving just the two of you...
It was quiet, save for the faint scraping of your broom on the floor and the soft rustling of papers as Kazuha shuffled through his notes...
It was the perfect opportunity for a conversation, one he had been hoping for ever since he found out he'd be paired with you for cleanup duty.
He had to make the most of it, right?
After all, this was his chance to finally talk to you, to maybe connect beyond the passing greetings and small interactions of the past year.
He glanced up at you, trying to appear casual. “So... um... you like art, right?”
You paused for a moment, your broom hanging mid-air as you blinked at him. “Yeah... I do,” you answered slowly, as if trying to piece together why he’d bring it up now.
Kazuha rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly aware of how awkward it sounded. “Right, I remember you mentioned it before. I think you said you like drawing too?”
You nodded, a faint smile tugging at your lips. “Yeah, that’s right. People, emotions... capturing moments like that"
Kazuha smiled a little, more relaxed now that the conversation was going somewhere. But then, of course, his nerves kicked in again, and the words stumbled out before he could think about them.
“That’s cool,” he said, too quickly.
“I mean, uh... it must be, like, hard to capture a person’s, like, essence, you know?” He winced at his own words, wishing he could take them back. “Uh, not that... I mean, you must be good at it, right? Sorry... I’m rambling.”
You chuckled lightly, easing the tension a bit. “It’s okay. I get what you mean. It’s hard to really capture the way someone is in a single moment, but... I guess that’s part of the fun, right? Trying to freeze time like that but then again I'm not that good at it though, its just a hobby to pass the time”
Kazuha nodded, but then quickly added, “Yeah, yeah, exactly. Like... it’s like... trying to trap a fleeting feeling... or something. Uh oh... poetry’s like that too. You know, trying to... capture the feeling of a moment with words.”
You tilted your head, surprised. “Oh, you write poetry?” you asked, genuinely interested.
“Uh, well, yeah,” Kazuha said, his words coming out more nervously now. “I do. It’s just... you know, little poems. Nothing serious. Mostly haikus. About nature and... other stuff.” He cleared his throat, suddenly embarrassed. “Sorry, I’m not trying to make this all about me or anything.”
You smiled, trying to hide the amusement in your eyes. “I’m not complaining,” you said softly. “It’s interesting, actually. I didn’t know you wrote poems.”
Kazuha felt his heart skip a beat. This was the moment. He had a chance to share something, to let you into his world.
He straightened up, trying to sound more confident. “Well... it’s kind of a way to, you know, express myself. Like how you use your art. Maybe one day, if you want... I could show you one of my poems?”
You hesitated for a second, glancing over at him. “I’d like that,” you said, a genuine smile on your face.
Kazuha smiled back, but his cheeks flushed a little. “Yeah? Cool. Cool. I’ll, uh... I’ll definitely get one ready sometime.”
Silence lingered between you two for a brief moment as you both continued with your tasks. Kazuha tried not to think too much about it, but the conversation had felt a little... strange, hadn't it?
He had tried to sound casual, but now that he was thinking about it, he realized he had blurted a lot of things out without really knowing if any of it made sense.
But maybe that was just how conversations were.
At least you hadn’t looked too uncomfortable... right?
"So," he said after a moment, trying to keep things light, "do you... uh, do you like listening to music while you draw? Or is it one of those things where you need quiet?"
You blinked, clearly thrown off by the sudden change in subject. “I... I usually listen to music, yeah,” you said slowly, as if trying to figure out where this was going. “I think it helps me get in the zone, you know?”
“That’s cool,” Kazuha said quickly, nodding a little too enthusiastically. “Yeah, music helps with, like, the mood and stuff, right? I mean, for poetry, I sometimes listen to... um... instrumental music. Helps me focus.”
You smiled again, this time with a bit more warmth. “Yeah, same here. Something calming, I guess.”
Kazuha felt his heart race a little, and then he immediately regretted it. “Right, calming. Yeah. I guess, uh... well, do you have a favorite artist or band or something?”
You thought for a moment. “I guess I like a bit of everything...! Maybe a bit biased to Classic Rock.”
“Classic rock?” Kazuha repeated, a little too loudly. He flushed, realizing how excited he sounded. “I didn’t know that. I mean, I’ve listened to a little bit of it too. Like, The Beatles and stuff... You know, the classics.”
You laughed, a light, amused sound that made Kazuha smile, though he felt a little embarrassed at how eager he had sounded. “Yeah, The Beatles are definitely classic. There’s something about old music that feels... timeless, right?”
“Totally,” Kazuha agreed quickly. “Yeah, exactly. It’s... timeless. I, uh... I think I’d like to hear what you draw to one day, you know? If you’re up for it.”
You gave him a soft nod, your expression kind. “Sure. I can show you some stuff sometime!"
Kazuha’s heart fluttered at the thought, but he tried to play it cool. “Great. I’ll look forward to it.”
As the conversation started to wind down, Kazuha realized he was probably making this all more complicated than it needed to be.
But that was just how he was, wasn’t it? Always overthinking, trying to make everything perfect when maybe just being himself would be enough.
“Alright, I guess we’re done here,” he said, trying to sound casual as he finished gathering his things.
You nodded, stretching your arms out above your head. “Yeah, looks like it. Thanks for helping with the cleanup.”
“No problem,” Kazuha said, offering you a small smile. “It wasn’t too bad, actually.”
You smiled back, gathering your things. “I’ll see you later, Kazuha. It was... nice... talking.”
“Yeah,” he said softly, watching as you turned to leave. “It really was.”
As you left the room, Kazuha stood there for a moment, letting the silence settle around him. He glanced down at his pencil case, and his gaze landed on the pen—the very same pen you had lent him back in second year.
Kazuha picked up the pen, tracing the surface with his fingers. He had kept it all this time, tucked away, a quiet reminder of that fleeting, simple moment.
The pen had come to symbolize more than just a tool—it was a connection, a brief interaction that had lingered in his mind, growing quietly but steadily with every passing day.
He had never told anyone about it.
It seemed so small... so insignificant when spoken aloud.
But as Kazuha ran his thumb over the worn clip of the pen, he found himself lost in the memory.
It was the final stretch of the exam, and the tension in the room hung heavy in the air, the clock ticking down the minutes.
Kazuha sat near the back of the room, his brow furrowed in concentration, the edges of his paper nearly covered in neat, flowing script.
He had been moving quickly, the rhythm of his writing unbroken—until it wasn’t.
With a soft, almost imperceptible click, the pen in his hand sputtered and stopped, its once smooth ink flow now stilted and dry.
He tried again, pressing harder, but it was no use.
The familiar blue ink that had danced across the page was gone, leaving nothing but a dry, scratchy sound as his pen slid uselessly across the paper.
Kazuha’s heart sank into his chest.
He glanced around, momentarily desperate. No one seemed to notice, their focus fixed entirely on their own papers.
The classroom felt both enormous and stifling all at once, the minutes stretching out like an endless road ahead of him. He couldn’t bring himself to ask for a new pen. To disrupt the quiet, to draw attention to himself at such a moment.
But what choice did he have? He couldn’t just sit there, unable to finish.
He looked down at his paper, the inkless pen in his hand, and for a fleeting second, considered giving up. He had nearly reached the end, but his answers, though thorough, were incomplete. The thought of leaving them unfinished gnawed at him.
Then, a quiet voice cut through the stillness.
“Here.”
Kazuha blinked, startled. His gaze flickered up and across the desk to where you sat.
You were calm, your posture relaxed, the air around you as composed as ever. Your hand extended toward him, a pen sliding quietly across the surface of the desk.
Kazuha’s eyes widened slightly, his mind taking a moment to process the gesture.
Your face was focused on your own paper, your expression neutral, but there was a softness in your movement. It wasn’t loud or forceful, but it was kind.
He reached for the pen, his fingers brushing briefly against yours.
The sensation was electric, something he hadn’t expected, and yet it felt strangely... comforting.
His pulse quickened, and he looked up, only to find you already turning back to your own work, your focus unbroken, as if the exchange had been no more than a passing breeze.
"Thank you," he murmured, his voice barely audible, more a breath than words.
You nodded slightly, a motion so small it almost went unnoticed.
It wasn’t the first time Kazuha had noticed you though.
The memory of the sports festival lingered in the back of his mind. It hadn’t been anything extraordinary—at least, not from your perspective.
You hadn’t been the star athlete, nor had you done anything that particularly drew attention.
But for some reason, in the midst of all the chaos, Kazuha had found his gaze lingering on you.
Maybe it was the way you had cheered on others with such sincerity, the way you had looked so immersed in the spirit of the event.
There was something about you—something quiet and unassuming, yet undeniably captivating—that had caught his attention.
It hadn’t been the loud moments or the flashy victories, but the subtle grace you carried with you. And somehow, without meaning to, you had imprinted yourself on his mind.
The rest of the exam passed in a haze, his hand moving mechanically across the paper as he worked through the final questions.
But his mind kept drifting back to the soft, almost fleeting touch of your fingers on the pen, the brief exchange that left him feeling oddly... unsettled.
The exam eventually ended, the sound of pens setting down and papers rustling filled the air, signaling the end of a long and tense period.
Kazuha stood slowly, the familiar sound of chairs scraping against the floor blending into the background, but his gaze was still fixed on the pen in his hand. The borrowed pen, still warm from the brief touch.
He wanted to return it.
He knew he should.
But when he looked toward you, you were already gathering your things.
The sound of your laughter drifted to his ears as you moved toward the door.
He stood there for a moment longer, watching you leave, the warmth from the pen still lingering in his fingers. He had barely even spoken to you before today—yet now, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted, something unspoken between the two of you, something that made his chest tighten in an unfamiliar way.
Kazuha shook his head, snapping back to the present. The memory of that moment, though seemingly insignificant at the time, had stayed with him all these months. Now, as he sat in the classroom, holding the pen once again, he realized something that had eluded him then.
It wasn’t the pen that mattered.
It was the quiet connection.
The small gesture that seemed to carry more weight than anything he had felt before.
A fleeting touch, a brief but meaningful exchange, and yet it had left a lasting impression on him.
Now, he understood it. The pen, that simple moment, was the beginning of something much more.
Kazuha smiled to himself, almost imperceptibly. He placed the pen down on his desk, his fingers still lingering on it for a moment longer, feeling that warmth return. There was something more to this—something worth exploring, worth understanding.
He remembered Heizou’s teasing words from earlier, his voice ringing in his mind: "Time is ticking, Kazuha."
Kazuha chuckled softly under his breath. He had a whole year. Time was on his side, and perhaps it was time for him to finally let his feelings burn, to stop running from them and start letting them take shape.
No rush. He had all the time he needed. Right?
TAGLIST: @danhenglovebot, @milkteeboba
all writing belongs to me (@svynie) do not repost without my explicit permission, translate or plagiarize.
